Tag Archives: full moon

Friends, Benefits, and the Leo Full Moon

By Amanda Painter

We’re heading toward a Full Moon on Feb. 9, and Mercury stations retrograde one week later (on Feb. 16). That would be more than enough provocative energy on its own, but there are additional elements of the sky that will be sparking up the weekend.

Disco lion’s mane or crystallized moonlight? Photo by Amanda Painter.

One of those elements gets cooking tomorrow: Venus enters Aries at 3:02 pm EST (20:02:17 UTC) Feb. 7. Venus in Aries (the sign of Self ruled by Mars) tends to be lusty and assertive, idealistic yet impulsive, charming but sometimes inconsiderate without realizing it.

So remember your empathy, especially if any interpersonal situations get confrontational or intense as the Full Moon builds.

Yet it’s the conjunction of Venus to Chiron and the object Salacia that really focuses the qualities of Venus in Aries. Salacia appears to relate to sexual maturity (particularly the lack thereof) and to the kinds of sexual activity that get people all flustered.

In the U.S. media at least, that seems to be anything taboo or ‘scandalous’. In your personal life, it might mean the same things — or simply your perception that certain facets of your desire and sexual activity could be seen that way. But aren’t those always the hottest fantasies?

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Capricorn Shore, Dancing Waves: Cancer Full Moon and Eclipse

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By Amanda Painter

Today the Moon enters Cancer at 3:43 am EST (8:43:07 UTC) on its way to Friday’s Full Moon and penumbral lunar eclipse. I keep looking at this chart — with the Moon, seemingly by itself, facing off against a host of objects in Capricorn — and all these sea-related catchphrases keep popping into mind. I’ll get to those in a moment.

Light dancing on waves, waves dancing on shore; Higgins Beach, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

For some orientation: the eclipse peaks on Jan. 10 at 2:10 pm EST (19:09:58 UTC). Eleven minutes later, the Sun-Moon opposition (Full Moon) peaks at 2:21 pm EST (19:21:10 UTC).

Astrologically, the Moon rules Cancer. It is strong there, and emphasizes this water sign’s tendency toward cycles, intuition and sensitivity. Astronomically, the Moon’s movements dictate the tides of our actual oceans.

Meanwhile, in Capricorn (sign of business, government, tradition, leadership) we have: the Sun (conscious self-expression), Mercury (intellect and communication), asteroid Ceres (food, nourishment), Saturn (structure, limits, authority), Pluto (compelled evolution, ‘what is below’), and centaur Chariklo (holding space for another).

Full Moons imply a meeting or confrontation. In the chart for this one, the Moon seemingly floats in the water all by itself, reflecting the light of the Sun, and opposing all those other objects that are aligned on the rocky shore. Among those objects: a Saturn-Pluto conjunction — exact just two days later, on Jan. 12 — that describes much of the upheaval and major change we’re witnessing around us.

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Body and Soul, After the Full Moon

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By Amanda Painter

By the time you read this, the restless Gemini Full Moon will be separating. However, I’m writing this piece in the thick of it, and it’s been a challenge for me to stay focused on the Sagittarian arrow of the Sun and not get mixed up in the less-conscious mental chatter of the Gemini Moon. Thankfully, today you may notice certain interpersonal situations begin resolving, even if other feelings are intensifying.

Male dancers performing the Tedung Agung, a dance evoking a protective umbrella, in Ubud, Bali. Photo by Amanda Painte

Dancers performing the Tedung Agung, which evokes a protective umbrella, in Ubud, Bali. Photo by Amanda Painter.

Mental activity should ease this evening, after the Moon enters Cancer at 6:23 pm EST (23:22:58 UTC). With the Moon in its home sign, emotions are more likely to be felt for what they are.

Yet they might get verbalized less, as the Moon opposes the impressive collection of objects in Capricorn over Friday and Saturday.

While the Moon oppositions act as mini tidal shifts (either with people you encounter or entirely within you), you’ll want to notice whether there’s anything deeper going on for you.

Emotions that intensified during the recent Full Moon likely still have depths calling for exploration — or excavation. Venus makes its exact conjunction to Pluto tomorrow. Venus is the planet of feelings and the senses. Pluto represents not only change, but also all that exists ‘below’ — such as below consciousness, below the Earth’s surface (as in Capricorn), or below the proverbial belt.

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The Day of Inner Fervor: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Dec. 10
The Day of Inner Fervor | 2019-20 Sagittarius Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

The intrepid quest for truth is a core motivation for Sagittarians of any stripe. Truth and freedom are inseparable, yet to live in terms of those ideals requires hard-won self-awareness and self-acceptance. Your path this year calls for honestly addressing mounting tension in some area of your relationships or support systems. Fortunately, you’re well equipped to tap your highest capacity for insight, objectivity and skillful communication. Take the reins on your busy mind and steer with intent.
— by Victoria Emory

If you have a Sagittarius Sun, rising sign or Moon and could use some insights on such real-life matters as work, relationships and career, your 2019-2020 Sagittarius Astrology Studio reading by Eric Francis will cover your ruling planet Jupiter’s conjunction to the Galactic Core, a preview of Jupiter in Capricorn, and many other potentially life-changing facets of your astrology.

Written in the Planets

Emotions will be running deep as Venus in Capricorn aligns with Pluto and Saturn. The planet of feelings, sensory experiences and pleasure makes contact first with Saturn, then with Pluto. Venus to Saturn describes a potential sense of loss, longing or a limit placed on a relationship. That can lead to a breakthrough of depth: of discovery of your real feelings.

This aspect peaks at the same time as the Gemini Full Moon on the 11th. The Full Moon is a high tide emotionally, which will accentuate the poignancy of Venus-Pluto. Yet the Moon’s full phase in Gemini can be about talking a lot but not really saying anything. Avoid chatting away your feelings; rather, stay with yourself and what you’re experiencing, whatever it may be.

Almanac: Moon enters Gemini at 11:47 am EST today. The Full Moon in Gemini is exact at 12:12:12 am EST Thursday, 12/12. That’s a lot of 12s!

— by Eric Francis

Would you appreciate a resource to help guide your personal review of 2019? We’ve compiled all 12 of your monthly horoscopes by Eric for this year.

The Saturn-Pluto conjunction is upon us, just weeks away. While this event will happen two or three times in the lives of most people, this particular event is a moment of convergence and reckoning for the world and for us as individuals.

I’m underway recording RESPECT, the 2020-2021 Planet Waves annual readings, to cover the momentous astrology of the coming year-plus. You can read more about the project, and pre-order the readings, here.

Tending a Grateful Space

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By Amanda Painter

Jupiter is currently making its way through the last degree of Sagittarius, bringing to a close this year in its home sign. Before you look ahead to what Jupiter in Capricorn is all about, you might take a little time to consider the area(s) of your life where expansion, broad or far-reaching vision, acquisition of new knowledge and experiences, adventure, distant travel, attainment and sharing of wisdom, increased optimism or faith, religious or philosophical zeal (including fundamentalism), or self-indulgence have been prominent.

Wind chimes and frangipani tree in Padangbai, Bali, Indonesia; photo by Amanda Painter.

Where have those themes intermingled in your life? What new vistas — inner or outer — have you encountered as a result?

What now feels like a distant daydream (emblematic of Jupiter’s long square to Neptune in Pisces this past year)? In what ways do you feel like you’ve mastered — or at least gained a foothold in — a new life-level?

I ask, because when Jupiter enters Capricorn on Monday, Dec. 2, the emphasis will shift to the practical application of whatever you have learned, envisioned and acquired.

Saturn rules Capricorn. And while Saturn/Cap can have a dampening effect on some of Jupiter’s traits, it’s also possible for Jupiter to infuse some optimism, humor and breadth of perception into the more conservative, rigid and dry realm of Saturn and Capricorn.

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The Day of Sensual Charisma — Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Nov. 12
The Day of Sensual Charisma | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for instant access | All Other Signs

This Full Moon birthday describes a culmination of one phase in your evolving approach to relationships. Themes you encounter may include the interplay between self-sufficiency and devotion; identity and commitment. Real opportunities available this year to enhance self-worth and security might somehow tie-in to this process. You’ll need to heed intuitive prompts and then actively pursue those leads, but it will be worth it. Wrapping up old business now clears the path for dynamic breakthroughs ahead.
— by Victoria Emory

Your 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio reading for Scorpio Sun, rising and Moon signs addresses the current jolt to your relationships, as well as the profound thought transformation you’re going through. Eric considers some deep matters of self-identity and where that meets personal healing. Listen to Sample 1 or Sample 2.

Written in the Planets

This morning’s Taurus Full Moon is exact at 8:34 am EST. Chances are you’ve been feeling it build for at least a couple of days, even if you could not quite put your finger on what was brewing. Full Moons, visible in the sky, are literally a reflection: the Moon reflects the light of the Sun, though one would swear something so bright must be shining all on its own. It’s a useful dynamic to keep in mind every 28 days, particularly if you find yourself reacting strongly to someone else’s emotions or attitude toward you, and wondering “Where the heck is all this coming from?”

A more productive question might be to ask what they’re actually showing you about yourself. Is it possible you’re projecting some barely registered feelings or motives of your own onto them?

For this Full Moon, the Scorpio Sun is conjunct retrograde Mercury, and they are opposing the Moon in a tight conjunction to the asteroid Vesta in Taurus. So on one side we have symbols of conscious awareness and a deep memory process (Sun+Mercury); on the other side, emblems of intuition/emotion and embodied devotion/space-holding (Moon+Vesta). The signs Scorpio and Taurus both relate strongly to the emotional and physical experiences of sex (which implies surrender) and security (which implies control).

That all potentially translates into a visceral sense of conflicting desires and motives that could play out between you and another person. It need not be a showdown; it could easily morph into a mutually satisfying — if intense — exchange. Getting there, however, will require owning what you’re feeling, what you want, and how vulnerable you’re willing to be about it. Even if you experience this event entirely internally, rather than in a seemingly stuck situation with someone else, the questions and the available payoff are the same. Other factors in the chart suggest there’s plenty of energy available for physical or personal growth endeavors (double entendre not intended, but definitely an option) — but you’ll have to take the initiative.
— by Amanda Painter

In 2020 we have not one but two conjunctions that mark the turn of a generation, and of an era in history. On Jan. 12, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn form their once per 33-year conjunction. Then on Dec. 21. 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, both now in Aquarius, form a conjunction in the first degree of that sign. Read more here…

The Day of Moderation: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 14
The Day of Moderation | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Yesterday’s magnificent Full Moon in your opposite sign is still resonating, and its power is helping you to clear the path ahead. It’s time for you to dispense with old lingering doubts and other such bullshit, so that you can proceed without interruption. Keep your promises and act as compassion requires, but otherwise be firm if anyone or anything acts as a hindrance. You will want to invest as much of your time and energy as possible in the work you most need to do.
— by Amy Elliott

Do you have your Sun, Moon or rising sign in Libra? If so, Eric has much to say about stabilizing your relationships in the chaos of the internet, getting some traction in your career, and most of all, how to frame your own reality. in the 2019-2020 Libra Astrology Studio, now available for instant access. Check out the video preview for the reading here.

Written in the Planets

Though the reverberations of yesterday’s Full Moon should be softening, the Libra Sun is still exactly square Pluto in Capricorn. So you may still be feeling some internal pressure, of the kind that requires you to be very honest with yourself about what parts of your life are not working. That can feel a little scary, but it has a significant up side: moving away from behaviors that keep tripping you up opens the way to focus on what is going well, and on your highest priorities. Mercury and Saturn in aspect to each other describe an ability to identify exactly what you need to do. And challenges that you succeed in tackling today may emerge as sources of strength you can call on in the future.

The Moon moving through Taurus during the second part of the day offers a more relaxed emotional tone and overall pace, which could come as a relief if you prefer to move deliberately — though Uranus may still throw a curve ball or two. Perhaps, however, Uranus simply indicates that you’ll surprise yourself with an ability to take it all in stride. Not everything that we expect to be upsetting turns out to be so. Usually this is a sign that we’ve been growing without even realizing it.
— by Amanda Painter

My autumn readings, called In These Times, offer a place of refuge, an opportunity to suspend self-judgment, and my careful reading of the charts. I offer you reasons to be motivated, and strategies for handling the strange complexity of society at this time. To this work, I bring all of what I have learned as a journalist, editor, astrologer, spiritual student and man of the world; and I offer it to you for an affordable price. Read more here.

In These Times is now available for instant access!

The Day of the Tough Cookie: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 13
The Day of the Tough Cookie | Order the 2019-20 Libra Astrology Studio | All Other Signs

Given that your birthday is marked by the Aries Full Moon closely square Pluto, it’s safe to say this is likely to be a big year for you. There’s a lot you can get done, and you may well find yourself holding the torch to help guide friends and loved ones into the next phase of your collective experience. Not only do you possess unique wisdom that you can share, but you also seem to have a finger on the pulse of our time in history, and a means to lead the way forward into the future.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight’s Aries Full Moon, which is exact at 5:08 pm EDT (21:07:45 UTC), brings the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction to the forefront. Full Moons are one of the most palpable astrological events we experience — both internally, and through witnessing others’ behavior. This one is like running the essence of Saturn-Pluto in through an IV line. In other words, it could feel particularly intense and marked by an inner sense of pressure to make some changes — such as letting go of unproductive behaviors and emotional habits. This is in addition to whatever friction or stalemates you may encounter with other people.

For interpersonal situations of any flavor that seem genuinely intractable, consider calling a truce on pushing it until after this evening. You can’t avoid addressing important issues, but you can be conscious about holding a space for them that’s running less voltage.

That said, sometimes things just need to get out in the open where they can be dealt with consciously. Kind of like how it’s not always obvious that a machine needs maintenance until it’s clearly not working well. Often how we address issues is just as important as the fact of addressing them in the first place. Knee-jerk reactions can fan flames rather than move people toward solutions; same with manipulative tactics, which tend to backfire in the long run.

Yet Jupiter in Sagittarius is exactly trine the Aries Moon and sextile the Libra Sun today. This offers a little buoyancy to what could otherwise be a heavy (and heavily polarized) situation — it’s the comic relief of, say, Trevor Noah and John Oliver as they observe political events, or your ability to see the absurdity of a personal argument while you’re in the midst of it. Jupiter in this position might also describe an ability to take the long view on your struggles: to connect some of the dots between current pressure or upheaval and the growth needed to achieve your broader goals. Gears are in motion, and they are inviting you to move with them.
— by Amanda Painter